Roger That

Sometimes, despite great effort, something we try to make just isn't meant to be. Have you ever had that experience? I have, plenty, and I'll bet anyone who creates anything has had a project that just won't go along with the plan. That piece, for me, is the necklace below. I think you could guess which one.

Did you know that, in jewelry making, setting the stone is the absolute last thing you do? The piece is completely fabricated and finished (polished, oxidized etc...), and only then can the stone be set into its bezel or prongs. This makes troubles with stone-setting particularly frustrating—having spent hours making the piece, only to be foiled on the very last step.

These fossil coral necklaces are part of a small series of one-of-a-kind pieces featuring those gorgeous stones, and it looks like that series will have one less than originally planned. The bright side is, I glued that baby back together and gifted myself a new necklace. You can barely see the crack running through it, but it is still not in any shape to sell, so it's mine all mine now.

I am grateful that the amber-colored necklace cooperated with me. It is now listed in my shop.

Today's Great Outdoor Challenge photo is of the "roger, roger" microphones my girls created. These super-secret spy microphones are used to communicate with each other from opposite sides of the yard. Particularly useful when warning that a villain (read: parent) has infiltrated the territory.

Wouldn't it be great if we had "roger, roger" spy microphones to warn us when an uncooperative project was on the horizon?